The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of draining means and more specifically relates to efficient drain systems for use with substantially contained volumes of fluids.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage of liquids, solids and gases (fluids) may be provided by large containers. Fluids may be transported between locations via piping infrastructure or by large moveable containers such as those pulled by highway tractors. In certain instances such as during maintenance (shutdowns), cleaning or other tasks the fluids may need to be drained. In order to effectively drain large, closed containers, users may be required to use pumps or other types of cumbersome equipment. This can be a laborious, inconvenient, and a costly task. Other methods for extracting liquids from large containers may require users to cut tees into large pipes and weld steel fittings to the containers, which can also be expensive and time-consuming. Individuals who work in industrial settings, farms, or who need frequent access to the contents of the tanks for their homes, may benefit from a convenient, efficient solution.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,597,361; Pub No. 2004/0265091; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,439,256; 5,129,684; 6,681,796; and 7,552,742. This prior art is representative of draining means. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, an efficient drain system should be user-friendly, safe in-use and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable efficient drain system to avoid the above-mentioned problems.